Check out this gift guide for dog parents to help you with great gifts for the holidays and beyond.

One of the coolest parts of what I do for a living is that I get to see a ton of dog and dog lover products throughout the year. I travel to pet industry trade shows, talk to the inventors of pet products, and I get news alerts on the very latest for dogs and dog parents.

Whether you are shopping for a dog mom, dog dad, or perhaps a gift for yourself, this gift guide will help you with some fabulous finds that make for unique and memorable presents.

Easy to use gift guides are my favorites, so that is the goal of this guide and the others that can be found below. There are 20 gift ideas in this guide, broken out into five categories with four items in each category. We are including items from $5 bucks and those in the $200 range, too.

This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small income if you click through and purchase something on the links. Please see my disclosure policy for details.

Apparel for Dog Parents

These are four of our favorite picks for dog parent apparel, from the dog mom to the dog dad and we even tossed in two items we own. If you click through, you can select the size and type you want for each.

Personalized Gifts for Dog Parents

This solid beech wood rolling pin is perfect for the pastry chef in your life! It can be used as decór or these personalized rolling pins can be used to brand your cookies or pies! I love the personalized name feature and the paw print, as I had never seen these before. The price doesn’t break the bank:

Custom Painting: Ryan Jordan has been “creating art” ever since he could lift a crayon. In the past few years, he’s taken it from a casual hobby to a passionate career path. Working on art and seeing it completed brings Ryan great joy and satisfaction. There’s always a dog or a cat nearby during this process, usually interrupting him for some affection. His artwork is spot on and will make a treasured keepsake. Check out the portraits or the mini paintings he can do of your dog. Here’s a sample of his lovely work below and a link for you to purchase.

Memorial Gifts for Dog Parents

Don’t forget the dog parent on your list whose dog has crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. It is particularly difficult at the holidays for those who have lost a dog, no matter if the passing occurred this year or not. A dog mom or dog dad will certainly appreciate a caring remembrance of their beloved dog. Here are a few ideas:

A Forever Treasured Customized Keepsake: Lucy Francis Maloney is a genius in creating miniature dog sculptures. With the help of German glass eyes as well as fine alpaca, cashmere, silk, and wool, she brings miniature pets to life. She knows the miniature is complete when she sees the distinct spark of life in the replica’s eye. I know because Lucy has sculpted both of my Cocker Spaniels, and her work is breathtaking. She will work with you in creating a treasured piece of art you will cherish of your dog. The miniature dogs are soft with some flexibility – never breaking and happy to get in any pose. Lucy’s unusual technique, acquired over many years, allows her to offer to you a reality in a miniature sculpture you will find hard to believe. Her animals are soft sculptures not needle felted. She never use pastels or paint every piece is 100% natural fiber for fur and accents.

Keepsake Box: Sentiment written inside box: ”Truly a friend”. Enclosure card included in box for gift-giving. I own this one and also have given it as a gift. I keep some of my previous Cocker Spaniel’s items in it.

Pet Remembrance Photo Frame Ornament: Jeweled Metal with red enamel heart with angel wings & paw prints. The back is smooth so you are able to personalize this ornament by taking it and getting it engraved.

Have you already checked out my other Gift Guides for dogs and dog lovers? These gift guides make great gifts for the holidays and beyond (birthdays, just because, Valentine’s Day, anniversary, dog birthday, etc.)

Note: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon, meaning if you click on a link above and then make a purchase, Fidose of Reality will receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. You help us keep the site up and running and in exchange, you get to shop for items you love. Wags!

Check out this gift guide for dog parents to help you with great gifts for the holidays and beyond.

One of the coolest parts of what I do for a living is that I get to see a ton of dog and dog lover products throughout the year. I travel to pet industry trade shows, talk to the inventors of pet products, and I get news alerts on the very latest for dogs and dog parents.

Whether you are shopping for a dog mom, dog dad, or perhaps a gift for yourself, this gift guide will help you with some fabulous finds that make for unique and memorable presents.

Easy to use gift guides are my favorites, so that is the goal of this guide and the others that can be found below. There are 20 gift ideas in this guide, broken out into five categories with four items in each category. We are including items from $5 bucks and those in the $200 range, too.

This post may contain affiliate links for which I earn a small income if you click through and purchase something on the links. Please see my disclosure policy for details.

Apparel for Dog Parents

These are four of our favorite picks for dog parent apparel, from the dog mom to the dog dad and we even tossed in two items we own. If you click through, you can select the size and type you want for each.

Personalized Gifts for Dog Parents

This solid beech wood rolling pin is perfect for the pastry chef in your life! It can be used as decór or these personalized rolling pins can be used to brand your cookies or pies! I love the personalized name feature and the paw print, as I had never seen these before. The price doesn’t break the bank:

Custom Painting: Ryan Jordan has been “creating art” ever since he could lift a crayon. In the past few years, he’s taken it from a casual hobby to a passionate career path. Working on art and seeing it completed brings Ryan great joy and satisfaction. There’s always a dog or a cat nearby during this process, usually interrupting him for some affection. His artwork is spot on and will make a treasured keepsake. Check out the portraits or the mini paintings he can do of your dog. Here’s a sample of his lovely work below and a link for you to purchase.

Memorial Gifts for Dog Parents

Don’t forget the dog parent on your list whose dog has crossed to the Rainbow Bridge. It is particularly difficult at the holidays for those who have lost a dog, no matter if the passing occurred this year or not. A dog mom or dog dad will certainly appreciate a caring remembrance of their beloved dog. Here are a few ideas:

A Forever Treasured Customized Keepsake: Lucy Francis Maloney is a genius in creating miniature dog sculptures. With the help of German glass eyes as well as fine alpaca, cashmere, silk, and wool, she brings miniature pets to life. She knows the miniature is complete when she sees the distinct spark of life in the replica’s eye. I know because Lucy has sculpted both of my Cocker Spaniels, and her work is breathtaking. She will work with you in creating a treasured piece of art you will cherish of your dog. The miniature dogs are soft with some flexibility – never breaking and happy to get in any pose. Lucy’s unusual technique, acquired over many years, allows her to offer to you a reality in a miniature sculpture you will find hard to believe. Her animals are soft sculptures not needle felted. She never use pastels or paint every piece is 100% natural fiber for fur and accents.

Keepsake Box: Sentiment written inside box: ”Truly a friend”. Enclosure card included in box for gift-giving. I own this one and also have given it as a gift. I keep some of my previous Cocker Spaniel’s items in it.

Pet Remembrance Photo Frame Ornament: Jeweled Metal with red enamel heart with angel wings & paw prints. The back is smooth so you are able to personalize this ornament by taking it and getting it engraved.

Have you already checked out my other Gift Guides for dogs and dog lovers? These gift guides make great gifts for the holidays and beyond (birthdays, just because, Valentine’s Day, anniversary, dog birthday, etc.)

Note: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon, meaning if you click on a link above and then make a purchase, Fidose of Reality will receive a small commission with no extra cost to you. You help us keep the site up and running and in exchange, you get to shop for items you love. Wags!

I smell the first snow if the season! Sure, we had a few dustings in late October and November, but not enough to really call it a first snow. Snow is nice, but I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. Katie and I used to really tear it up in the snow, but now I sniff around and go back inside, leaving the wild stuff for my younger sisters.

Last winter was lousy, not much snow, Mom broke her ankle, weather was too warm, all in all, not really what we dream of. It was also Madison’s first winter, but she doesn’t seem to remember a whole lot about it and is really enjoying the cold and snow now!

Bailie, our resident wild child, who loves to be immature, and have as much fun as possible in life, is diving head first into winter right now as well!

I think it might be some law of physics, but I’m not sure when it comes to combining energy levels. If you put two bundles of energy like Bailie and Madison together you will get an explosion. These explosions make for some fun viewing opportunities and photos! And they are off to perform their warm up lap!

Wrestle running is what I call this style of running. After completing a warm up lap or two, the wrestling starts to creep in to get the two bundles of energy primed for the real wild explosions!

The two moving bodies connect and the wrestle mania begins.

Size has no meaning in these games. Little Miss Sassy Pants is never afraid to stand up to Bailie who is much bigger.

Madison radiates boundless energy and the desire to take down the larger opponent!

No more battling on all fours! It’s turned into an all twos style of wrestling!

Time out! Madison seems to have some secret information about the game to pass on to Bailie. Bailie is listening and is ready to carry on.

Apparently, they need to run some more laps to re tank their energy levels. Go dogs go!

I don’t know about you all, but all the crazy play is wearing me out! I think I will go back into the warm house, have a snack, and take a little nap! Do you enjoy playing out in the snow as much as Bailie and Madison do?

I smell the first snow if the season! Sure, we had a few dustings in late October and November, but not enough to really call it a first snow. Snow is nice, but I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. Katie and I used to really tear it up in the snow, but now I sniff around and go back inside, leaving the wild stuff for my younger sisters.

Last winter was lousy, not much snow, Mom broke her ankle, weather was too warm, all in all, not really what we dream of. It was also Madison’s first winter, but she doesn’t seem to remember a whole lot about it and is really enjoying the cold and snow now!

Bailie, our resident wild child, who loves to be immature, and have as much fun as possible in life, is diving head first into winter right now as well!

I think it might be some law of physics, but I’m not sure when it comes to combining energy levels. If you put two bundles of energy like Bailie and Madison together you will get an explosion. These explosions make for some fun viewing opportunities and photos! And they are off to perform their warm up lap!

Wrestle running is what I call this style of running. After completing a warm up lap or two, the wrestling starts to creep in to get the two bundles of energy primed for the real wild explosions!

The two moving bodies connect and the wrestle mania begins.

Size has no meaning in these games. Little Miss Sassy Pants is never afraid to stand up to Bailie who is much bigger.

Madison radiates boundless energy and the desire to take down the larger opponent!

No more battling on all fours! It’s turned into an all twos style of wrestling!

Time out! Madison seems to have some secret information about the game to pass on to Bailie. Bailie is listening and is ready to carry on.

Apparently, they need to run some more laps to re tank their energy levels. Go dogs go!

I don’t know about you all, but all the crazy play is wearing me out! I think I will go back into the warm house, have a snack, and take a little nap! Do you enjoy playing out in the snow as much as Bailie and Madison do?

It felt like a spontaneous support group session. I stood at the checkout counter of a pet store and the manager was scanning my purchases, including a stuffed pink giraffe dog toy.

He asked me what kind of dog I have. I shared with him and paused before noting that my dog, Angel, 11, just started playing with stuffed toys, two months after adoption.

Embarrassed that I may own a demonically possessed canine, I noted, “She likes to rip their legs and ears off.”

The manager laughed and put my confession to shame. His dog “goes for the throats” of stuffed toys, ripping out their jugulars. He was shy to describe his house full of throat-less stuffed animal toys.

My house is a graveyard for limbless, earless, antlerless, tailless creatures.

A fellow dog owner refers to these attacks on innocent stuffed creatures as “stufficide.” Her dog, Bart, is like my Angel. He instantly chews off limbs and, she said, “There’s always a bit of glee in Bart’s eye when he’s performing a medical procedure.”

That same giddy, demonic look comes over my Angel as she performs clean-cut amputations of stuffed animal parts with a grinding molar action.

When Angel came into my life she was given several stuffed toys by a shelter volunteer and I bought her a couple. I had no idea if she liked toys, as she was found with no background information or a name.

One of the toys I gave her was a small Wonder Woman doll with a squeaker in it. She slept in a bed with it, but ignored it. But two months later, something snapped. She got a feisty glimmer in her eye, picked up Wonder Woman in her mouth and started to chew on her. I laughed to myself watching her, until she spit out an arm. Then, the other arm.

The “bracelets of submission” that Wonder Woman uses to deflect gunfire, small missiles and other projectile weaponry, were cut off with the geriatric molars of a shepherd-husky.

This was the start of her obsession with removing appendages from stuffed creatures.

We now have a dinosaur missing a spikey plate from its back, a monkey with one leg, a pink dog with three legs, a pink rabbit with one ear, a cat face with one ear, and that giraffe I bought during my in-store counseling session, it is now missing one ear and one antler.

As the mood strikes her, she strikes another toy, chewing off parts and spitting them out in her beds or on the floor. At first I had a small collection of parts, but I have since disposed of them.

When legs are ripped off of critters, I steal the toys away to mend with sturdy upholstery thread. Angel supervises the surgeries with that same giddy, demonic stare.

Many dogs are annoyed by squeakers and seek them out first to extract from a toy. Angel doesn’t seem to care about killing squeakers. She just wants to rip creatures limb from limb.

Most dog owners have stories of how their canines like to carry around toys, rip them up at warp speed or bring them to bed. A German Shepherd owner told me his dog loved basketballs and deflated them within 20 seconds. Stuffed toys were gutted in less than a half hour, and tennis balls were chewed in half in 60 minutes.

I have to say that one or two stuffed animals always lie on my bed where Angel sleeps beside me. She also occasionally carries one outside when she goes potty, sets it down on the grass and I have to carry it back inside.

Three pet beds in my living room are like islands that hold Angel’s stuffed toy collection. I think of this environment like the Island of Misfit Toys, from the holiday television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That island had oddball toys like a spotted elephant, a “Charlie-in-the-box” and a bird that swims.

I’ve taken photos of Angel’s signature collection, and captured images and videos of her chewing off and spitting out limbs. It’s like photographic evidence from crime scenes.

Many more toys will enter my home just to make Angel happy in her senior years. One bunny she’s removed all of the stuffing from and it shall remain stuffing-less per her request. Two smaller bunnies and a squirrel are her favorites, as she likes to chase bunnies and squirrels in real life. Those toys have been mended countless times and I’m happy to oblige. I even bought an extra stuffed bunny from the store so she has a spare.

I laugh at her silly behavior with these creatures, wondering if she had toys in her past. I’m sure she never had this many and I find joy in making her happy.

***

Tracy Ahrens is a veteran journalist, author, artist and mom to three rescued cats and one dog. See her web site at www.tracyahrens.weebly.com and add her children’s book, “Sammy Sparrow’s First Flight,” to your collection. All proceeds help 9 humane organizations.

It felt like a spontaneous support group session. I stood at the checkout counter of a pet store and the manager was scanning my purchases, including a stuffed pink giraffe dog toy.

He asked me what kind of dog I have. I shared with him and paused before noting that my dog, Angel, 11, just started playing with stuffed toys, two months after adoption.

Embarrassed that I may own a demonically possessed canine, I noted, “She likes to rip their legs and ears off.”

The manager laughed and put my confession to shame. His dog “goes for the throats” of stuffed toys, ripping out their jugulars. He was shy to describe his house full of throat-less stuffed animal toys.

My house is a graveyard for limbless, earless, antlerless, tailless creatures.

A fellow dog owner refers to these attacks on innocent stuffed creatures as “stufficide.” Her dog, Bart, is like my Angel. He instantly chews off limbs and, she said, “There’s always a bit of glee in Bart’s eye when he’s performing a medical procedure.”

That same giddy, demonic look comes over my Angel as she performs clean-cut amputations of stuffed animal parts with a grinding molar action.

When Angel came into my life she was given several stuffed toys by a shelter volunteer and I bought her a couple. I had no idea if she liked toys, as she was found with no background information or a name.

One of the toys I gave her was a small Wonder Woman doll with a squeaker in it. She slept in a bed with it, but ignored it. But two months later, something snapped. She got a feisty glimmer in her eye, picked up Wonder Woman in her mouth and started to chew on her. I laughed to myself watching her, until she spit out an arm. Then, the other arm.

The “bracelets of submission” that Wonder Woman uses to deflect gunfire, small missiles and other projectile weaponry, were cut off with the geriatric molars of a shepherd-husky.

This was the start of her obsession with removing appendages from stuffed creatures.

We now have a dinosaur missing a spikey plate from its back, a monkey with one leg, a pink dog with three legs, a pink rabbit with one ear, a cat face with one ear, and that giraffe I bought during my in-store counseling session, it is now missing one ear and one antler.

As the mood strikes her, she strikes another toy, chewing off parts and spitting them out in her beds or on the floor. At first I had a small collection of parts, but I have since disposed of them.

When legs are ripped off of critters, I steal the toys away to mend with sturdy upholstery thread. Angel supervises the surgeries with that same giddy, demonic stare.

Many dogs are annoyed by squeakers and seek them out first to extract from a toy. Angel doesn’t seem to care about killing squeakers. She just wants to rip creatures limb from limb.

Most dog owners have stories of how their canines like to carry around toys, rip them up at warp speed or bring them to bed. A German Shepherd owner told me his dog loved basketballs and deflated them within 20 seconds. Stuffed toys were gutted in less than a half hour, and tennis balls were chewed in half in 60 minutes.

I have to say that one or two stuffed animals always lie on my bed where Angel sleeps beside me. She also occasionally carries one outside when she goes potty, sets it down on the grass and I have to carry it back inside.

Three pet beds in my living room are like islands that hold Angel’s stuffed toy collection. I think of this environment like the Island of Misfit Toys, from the holiday television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. That island had oddball toys like a spotted elephant, a “Charlie-in-the-box” and a bird that swims.

I’ve taken photos of Angel’s signature collection, and captured images and videos of her chewing off and spitting out limbs. It’s like photographic evidence from crime scenes.

Many more toys will enter my home just to make Angel happy in her senior years. One bunny she’s removed all of the stuffing from and it shall remain stuffing-less per her request. Two smaller bunnies and a squirrel are her favorites, as she likes to chase bunnies and squirrels in real life. Those toys have been mended countless times and I’m happy to oblige. I even bought an extra stuffed bunny from the store so she has a spare.

I laugh at her silly behavior with these creatures, wondering if she had toys in her past. I’m sure she never had this many and I find joy in making her happy.

***

Tracy Ahrens is a veteran journalist, author, artist and mom to three rescued cats and one dog. See her web site at www.tracyahrens.weebly.com and add her children’s book, “Sammy Sparrow’s First Flight,” to your collection. All proceeds help 9 humane organizations.

In the same vein, puppies should not be fed food that is specially formulated for adult dogs. Quite simply, the nutritional needs of a growing pup are different from those of a grown dog.

But how exactly is a new puppy’s nutritional needs different from that of an adult dog?

Nutritional needs of puppies

A dog’s nutritional requirements will depend on a few factors, including its age, size, and breed. As such, you have to pay keen attention to these when choosing a suitable puppy food for the latest addition to your household.

Your new puppy’s body is working double time to sustain growth and development. As such, he needs the right nutrients to sustain both.

Before you go out to buy food and supplies for your pet in a brick-and-mortar or online pet store, you should also be aware that the newest member of your pack should be given food with high quality ingredients, free from harmful toxins.

Compared to food formulated for adult canines, your puppy’s food should have more calories. For example, a serving of quality puppy food will contain 445 kcal while a serving of adult dog food may contain only 375 kcal. Those extra calories are necessary because your puppy is still growing while the calories in adult dog food are going to be used for maintenance.

Apart from the difference in the amount of calories per serving, puppy food also contains more fats and proteins compared to adult dog food.

If there is one good reason why you should avoid feeding your puppy adult dog food, it is because feeding your young furry friend with adult food can deprive him of vital nutrients that support optimal growth and development.

Feeding your new puppy through different stages

From six to 12 weeks old, your new puppy can start eating specially formulated puppy food four times a day.

At around three to six months, you can begin to decrease the number of times you feed him. When your puppy reaches three months of age, you should begin to notice him outgrowing his pudginess. If he still has not outgrown this stage, you should continue feeding him in puppy-sized portions.

When your puppy has reached six months of age, you can begin feeding him twice a day.

Making the switch to adult dog food

If you own a small breed pup, you can begin the transition to adult dog food at around seven to nine months. On the other hand, if you own a medium to large breed puppy, you can make the switch at a later time, at around 12 months or a little longer.

Do not rush into making the switch to adult dog food. It will not hurt your young furry pal to continue eating puppy food for a little while longer.

When you do make the switch to adult dog food, make sure that your puppy transitions gradually for the first few days. Mix the old dog food with the new food, gradually increasing the new food as the days pass. Otherwise, his tummy can become upset.

Checking if your puppy is adequately fed

Your pup’s veterinarian is the best person to ask if your pet is adequately fed.

Veterinarians use a body conditioning score to evaluate dogs, with a score of one for thin and emaciated dogs and five for obese pets. Ideally, puppies aged between eight and ten weeks should have a score of two.

Puppies with a score of two in the body conditioning score system will have visible ribs and back bones. When you are looking at your new pup, you should be able to see its waist while looking down at him.

At around five months of age, your newest pack member should start getting leaner as his rapid development begins to taper off.

An opportunity for training

Your puppy’s first year is crucial for his training. This also applies to feeding.

During your pup’s initial months in your home, all family members should make a conscious effort to thwart its begging. Quite simply, you have to resist the temptation to give him table scraps and unhealthy treats. In fact, feeding your new pup table scraps is one of the biggest mistakes that you should avoid.

Teaching your new pup not to beg for food will not only help him avoid weight problems. More importantly, it can also prevent behavioral problems.

As a pet owner, it is one of your responsibilities to make sure that your new puppy meets its nutritional needs to support its growth, health, and wellness. For more information about feeding, consult your veterinarian.

AUTHOR BIO

Farah Al-Khojai is the Managing Partner of Pets Delight. A passionate entrepreneur, Farah holds a BSC in Government from the London School of Economics. She is always on the lookout for new opportunities to develop and grow the pet retail and wholesale market in the UAE and beyond, and is proud to be at the helm of the first and the largest pet care provider in the market representing world-class brand including P&G, Savic, Zolux, Flamingo, Ruffwear and Rogz.

In the same vein, puppies should not be fed food that is specially formulated for adult dogs. Quite simply, the nutritional needs of a growing pup are different from those of a grown dog.

But how exactly is a new puppy’s nutritional needs different from that of an adult dog?

Nutritional needs of puppies

A dog’s nutritional requirements will depend on a few factors, including its age, size, and breed. As such, you have to pay keen attention to these when choosing a suitable puppy food for the latest addition to your household.

Your new puppy’s body is working double time to sustain growth and development. As such, he needs the right nutrients to sustain both.

Before you go out to buy food and supplies for your pet in a brick-and-mortar or online pet store, you should also be aware that the newest member of your pack should be given food with high quality ingredients, free from harmful toxins.

Compared to food formulated for adult canines, your puppy’s food should have more calories. For example, a serving of quality puppy food will contain 445 kcal while a serving of adult dog food may contain only 375 kcal. Those extra calories are necessary because your puppy is still growing while the calories in adult dog food are going to be used for maintenance.

Apart from the difference in the amount of calories per serving, puppy food also contains more fats and proteins compared to adult dog food.

If there is one good reason why you should avoid feeding your puppy adult dog food, it is because feeding your young furry friend with adult food can deprive him of vital nutrients that support optimal growth and development.

Feeding your new puppy through different stages

From six to 12 weeks old, your new puppy can start eating specially formulated puppy food four times a day.

At around three to six months, you can begin to decrease the number of times you feed him. When your puppy reaches three months of age, you should begin to notice him outgrowing his pudginess. If he still has not outgrown this stage, you should continue feeding him in puppy-sized portions.

When your puppy has reached six months of age, you can begin feeding him twice a day.

Making the switch to adult dog food

If you own a small breed pup, you can begin the transition to adult dog food at around seven to nine months. On the other hand, if you own a medium to large breed puppy, you can make the switch at a later time, at around 12 months or a little longer.

Do not rush into making the switch to adult dog food. It will not hurt your young furry pal to continue eating puppy food for a little while longer.

When you do make the switch to adult dog food, make sure that your puppy transitions gradually for the first few days. Mix the old dog food with the new food, gradually increasing the new food as the days pass. Otherwise, his tummy can become upset.

Checking if your puppy is adequately fed

Your pup’s veterinarian is the best person to ask if your pet is adequately fed.

Veterinarians use a body conditioning score to evaluate dogs, with a score of one for thin and emaciated dogs and five for obese pets. Ideally, puppies aged between eight and ten weeks should have a score of two.

Puppies with a score of two in the body conditioning score system will have visible ribs and back bones. When you are looking at your new pup, you should be able to see its waist while looking down at him.

At around five months of age, your newest pack member should start getting leaner as his rapid development begins to taper off.

An opportunity for training

Your puppy’s first year is crucial for his training. This also applies to feeding.

During your pup’s initial months in your home, all family members should make a conscious effort to thwart its begging. Quite simply, you have to resist the temptation to give him table scraps and unhealthy treats. In fact, feeding your new pup table scraps is one of the biggest mistakes that you should avoid.

Teaching your new pup not to beg for food will not only help him avoid weight problems. More importantly, it can also prevent behavioral problems.

As a pet owner, it is one of your responsibilities to make sure that your new puppy meets its nutritional needs to support its growth, health, and wellness. For more information about feeding, consult your veterinarian.

AUTHOR BIO

Farah Al-Khojai is the Managing Partner of Pets Delight. A passionate entrepreneur, Farah holds a BSC in Government from the London School of Economics. She is always on the lookout for new opportunities to develop and grow the pet retail and wholesale market in the UAE and beyond, and is proud to be at the helm of the first and the largest pet care provider in the market representing world-class brand including P&G, Savic, Zolux, Flamingo, Ruffwear and Rogz.

Last Saturday, Mom and I spent the day at Camp Abe Lincoln in Blue Grass, Iowa. It was the second day of our two day, mommy and me nose work road trip, and the second time we attended a trial at the camp.

Last year didn’t do so well as our team was still in a funk, and we placed 28 out of 30 teams. I only found about half the hides. If you think placing 28 is bad, in March we headed down to Moline, right across the river from Blue Grass for another NW3 and I placed dead last. 30 out of 30 and did not even pass one element. Our team was really at rock bottom. Nose work is a dog driven sport, meaning if I don’t find and tell Mom where the hides are, she is helpless. I spent about a year keeping the hide locations to myself which really messed us up.

My mom is very competitive and refused to give up, so we took some private lessons and really worked hard to try to put our team back together. Getting a spot in an NW3 Trial is hard. The waitlists are always long, but I did manage to get a spot back in July. For the first time in over a year, Mom and I worked well together. We had some fun and I only missed two hides which was the best I had ever done at an NW3 trial. I have tried quite a few NW3 trials with this last one being my seventh try.

Another problem we have is Mom’s nerves. With our team in a shambles and Bailie not passing her NW2 until the sixth try in October, she was a bundle of nerves at trials. Sometimes she almost got sick to her stomach from nerves. Once Madison passed her ORT tests in October, and Bailie passed her NW2 and L1E Trials, the confidence started coming back for Mom.

Our trip to Blue Grass was planned to be totally different. We left home in the morning when we were ready, no rushing around. The walk at Buffalo Shores Beach was planned, as was a night in our hotel room together just hanging out and having some fun – just mommy and me. The morning of the trial, we stopped at the beach again for a short walk and didn’t show up at the trial site when it opened, but still arrived with plenty of time. Mom decided to just go with whatever. She had watched videos of searches, taken tips from instructors and she was ready to let me work, help me if I needed it, and see what happened. For the first time in ages, she didn’t feel sick to her stomach.

This is a map of the hides in the trial. I’m so proud to tell you I found all ten hides and I earned my title, but Mom had thirty seconds of insanity on the last hide and just decided not to call it, so I did not get my title. It is a team sport, I have to find them all, and Mom has to correctly call them all. Despite that “little issue”, we had a wonderful day, the best trial ever probably, and we are ready to get it next time. There was no photographer, so I’m posting videos of three of the searches I did. Interiors, where I by the way, was one of only 13 dogs to find all the hides, does not allow videos.

FYI: the videos are not in slow motion…I just like to take my time and search the areas slowly and carefully. I’ll never win any speed awards, but it doesn’t matter to us as long as we find all the hides.

My first search was exteriors. Mom tried taking our time at the start and seeing if I caught odor which as you can see I did. I went right to the hide! The search should have ended earlier, but in NW3, you don’t know ahead of time how many hides there are and Mom wanted to make real sure I didn’t miss anything. You can see I tried to leave twice, but she kept sending me back!

Next I searched interiors, and then vehicles. As I was about to start vehicles they called a lunch break which was bad for us. I get mad when I can’t search and have to wait. I fell asleep really deep in the car and didn’t want to get up to search when the trial resumed. If you watch the video, you will see I don’t even search the first minute of the search time, but then I came around and got the job done. Mom knows me and knows she can’t push me too much or I will quit working.

Containers was the last and easiest search of the day, but my mom failed our team. It is obvious in the video that I wanted to tell her the second hide is here, but she was busy figuring out how to go back. At the end before she said finish she paused for a second because she thought about going back to check that container but the devil possessed her and she said finish instead. Poof, there went my title. It’s alright, we are a team again and we now know I can find all the hides. Hopefully we will get it on our next try.

Last Saturday, Mom and I spent the day at Camp Abe Lincoln in Blue Grass, Iowa. It was the second day of our two day, mommy and me nose work road trip, and the second time we attended a trial at the camp.

Last year didn’t do so well as our team was still in a funk, and we placed 28 out of 30 teams. I only found about half the hides. If you think placing 28 is bad, in March we headed down to Moline, right across the river from Blue Grass for another NW3 and I placed dead last. 30 out of 30 and did not even pass one element. Our team was really at rock bottom. Nose work is a dog driven sport, meaning if I don’t find and tell Mom where the hides are, she is helpless. I spent about a year keeping the hide locations to myself which really messed us up.

My mom is very competitive and refused to give up, so we took some private lessons and really worked hard to try to put our team back together. Getting a spot in an NW3 Trial is hard. The waitlists are always long, but I did manage to get a spot back in July. For the first time in over a year, Mom and I worked well together. We had some fun and I only missed two hides which was the best I had ever done at an NW3 trial. I have tried quite a few NW3 trials with this last one being my seventh try.

Another problem we have is Mom’s nerves. With our team in a shambles and Bailie not passing her NW2 until the sixth try in October, she was a bundle of nerves at trials. Sometimes she almost got sick to her stomach from nerves. Once Madison passed her ORT tests in October, and Bailie passed her NW2 and L1E Trials, the confidence started coming back for Mom.

Our trip to Blue Grass was planned to be totally different. We left home in the morning when we were ready, no rushing around. The walk at Buffalo Shores Beach was planned, as was a night in our hotel room together just hanging out and having some fun – just mommy and me. The morning of the trial, we stopped at the beach again for a short walk and didn’t show up at the trial site when it opened, but still arrived with plenty of time. Mom decided to just go with whatever. She had watched videos of searches, taken tips from instructors and she was ready to let me work, help me if I needed it, and see what happened. For the first time in ages, she didn’t feel sick to her stomach.

This is a map of the hides in the trial. I’m so proud to tell you I found all ten hides and I earned my title, but Mom had thirty seconds of insanity on the last hide and just decided not to call it, so I did not get my title. It is a team sport, I have to find them all, and Mom has to correctly call them all. Despite that “little issue”, we had a wonderful day, the best trial ever probably, and we are ready to get it next time. There was no photographer, so I’m posting videos of three of the searches I did. Interiors, where I by the way, was one of only 13 dogs to find all the hides, does not allow videos.

FYI: the videos are not in slow motion…I just like to take my time and search the areas slowly and carefully. I’ll never win any speed awards, but it doesn’t matter to us as long as we find all the hides.

My first search was exteriors. Mom tried taking our time at the start and seeing if I caught odor which as you can see I did. I went right to the hide! The search should have ended earlier, but in NW3, you don’t know ahead of time how many hides there are and Mom wanted to make real sure I didn’t miss anything. You can see I tried to leave twice, but she kept sending me back!

Next I searched interiors, and then vehicles. As I was about to start vehicles they called a lunch break which was bad for us. I get mad when I can’t search and have to wait. I fell asleep really deep in the car and didn’t want to get up to search when the trial resumed. If you watch the video, you will see I don’t even search the first minute of the search time, but then I came around and got the job done. Mom knows me and knows she can’t push me too much or I will quit working.

Containers was the last and easiest search of the day, but my mom failed our team. It is obvious in the video that I wanted to tell her the second hide is here, but she was busy figuring out how to go back. At the end before she said finish she paused for a second because she thought about going back to check that container but the devil possessed her and she said finish instead. Poof, there went my title. It’s alright, we are a team again and we now know I can find all the hides. Hopefully we will get it on our next try.